Yesterday, Monday 06 Oct 2008, at about 18:00 hrs local time, Villa Somalia came under mortar attack by enemies of peace and spoilers of the initiative to return sanity to Mogadishu. Both TFG and AMISOM troops are deployed at Villa Somalia to protect the Presidency. Eight shells were fired at the residence. TFG soldiers sustained 4 causalities from the mortar attack. There was no casualty on AMISOM personnel stationed at the area. The TFG Presidential guard brigade troops fired back at the attackers. It is deeply regrettable that TFG soldiers died in the attack and that some civilians could have been injured or even died in the counter mortar attack. In all this, there was no involvement on the part of Ethiopian National Defence Forces troops and any insinuation to the contrary would be dishonest.

All this happened at a time when the spoilers and detractors of peace had been expelled from Bakhara market. It is also important to note that the detractors will or may have done already to deliberately target Bakhara market and its environs in retaliation to their being expelled from the area.

AMISOM and all the stakeholders will continue to support and encourage a peaceful resolution of the Somalia conflict, and condemn all acts of violence meted against the population.